Lee likely to return for India tour

Brett Lee is likely to return for the tour of India in October as he has been advised to resume playing as soon as possible.

Written by Press Trust of India

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Melbourne:

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who is taking time off from cricket to deal with his marriage break-up, is likely to return for the tour of India in October as he has been advised to resume playing as soon as possible.

Lee will miss the three-match one-day series against Bangladesh starting tomorrow in Darwin, and as Australia is unlikely to take part in the Champions Trophy tournament, scheduled for Pakistan from September 12-28 due to safety concerns, he will have a few weeks to regroup.

"He will need to take some stock, he'll need a couple of weeks," said Neil Maxwell, Lee's manager and a close friend.

"The plan is for him to take stock mentally and otherwise, and I have advised him he needs to get back onto the field as soon as he can," he added.

The 31-year-old pacer has separated from his wife Liz Kemp, with whom he has a one-year-old son, Preston. Lee has requested for privacy after media reported it.

Teammates and Australian officials have offered all the support Lee needs at the moment but they are also well aware that his presence will be critical in their attempts to defeat India at home.

The Indian Test series is hugely important for the top-ranked Australians, particularly after the bitter series between the teams last summer and India's continued boasting that Australia's long-running domination is coming to an end.

It has been proposed that Australia fly to India earlier if they don't play in the trophy, to better acclimatise to Indian conditions. The first Test is to be held on October 9 in Bangalore but they will play a warm-up match on October 2.